US War Secretary Hegseth announces increased funding for AFP modernization

GMA Network - Oct 29, 2026

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced an increase in the US Department of War's security cooperation funds to accelerate the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Read full article
MORE NEWS
NMP invests P261M to upgrade seafarer training facilities in Tacloban

Oct 28, 2026

NMP invests P261M to upgrade seafarer training facilities in Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — Filipino seafarers training in Eastern Visayas are expected to benefit from improved accommodation and upgraded safety training facilities as the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) rolls out P261 million worth of infrastructure projects at its Tacloban complex. The projects, unveiled on Tuesday, Oct. 27, form part of the government agency’s modernization

Pre-shaded ballots found beyond Maluso in BARMM polls – watchdog

Oct 28, 2026

Pre-shaded ballots found beyond Maluso in BARMM polls – watchdog

MANILA, Philippines — Pre-shaded ballots were observed in three precincts outside the high-profile incident in Maluso, Basilan, during the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), an election watchdog said on Wednesday. The findings suggest that the ballot irregularities were not confined to Maluso, where more than 16,000 ballots were

More Filipinos favor VP’s defense team in Senate trial – survey

Oct 28, 2026

More Filipinos favor VP’s defense team in Senate trial – survey

MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos were satisfied with Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team than the House prosecution during her Senate impeachment trial, a survey from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) said on Wednesday. The survey was fielded among 1,500 Filipino adults, aged 18 and above, nationwide using face-to-face interviews. It found that 47 percent

PCSO lotto results Oct. 28: ₱312.1M jackpot not won

Oct 28, 2026

PCSO lotto results Oct. 28: ₱312.1M jackpot not won

MANILA, Philippines — No bettor won the ₱312.1 million Grand Lotto 6/55 jackpot or the ₱15 million Mega Lotto 6/45 jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) draws on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. The Grand Lotto 6/55 draw produced the winning combination 36-21-16-26-49-13, with a jackpot prize of ₱312.1 million. No ticket matched all

Consumers group backs call to penalize power firms over Visayas outages

Oct 28, 2026

Consumers group backs call to penalize power firms over Visayas outages

BACOLOD CITY — The Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (Access) has backed Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian’s call for the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to penalize power firms responsible for recurring and prolonged outages across the Visayas Grid. Access President Wennie Sancho said on Wednesday that

Ombudsman fines Cebu City mayor over night market operations

Oct 28, 2026

Ombudsman fines Cebu City mayor over night market operations

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered Cebu City Mayor Nestor Dionson Archival Sr. to pay a fine equivalent to one month’s basic salary after finding him administratively liable for simple neglect of duty over lapses in the operation of the 2025 Colon Street Night Market. The Ombudsman on Wednesday said

What China’s best new cultural spaces have in common: the light touch

Oct 28, 2026

What China’s best new cultural spaces have in common: the light touch

On a hillside in Anji, in Zhejiang province, a cluster of umbrella-like canopies steps gently down the slope, following the rows of tea bushes. There is no grand entrance, no plinth, no monumental block of stone. On October 22, at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, this project, Anji Hood by RoarcRenew Architects, was named Cultural Space of the Year at the Frame Awards 2026, chosen from more than 1,000 submissions by 100 jurors across 10 panels. I served on the Frame Awards 2026 grand jury for the...

Hegseth pledges stronger military framework with Philippines, but lacks details

Oct 28, 2026

Hegseth pledges stronger military framework with Philippines, but lacks details

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced additional military cooperation funding for the Philippines and agreed with Manila on efforts for enhanced interoperability between their forces on Wednesday, as Washington sought to strengthen its defence posture along the first island chain. The Pentagon disclosed neither the size of the funding increase nor a timetable for the coordination initiative following Hegseth’s meeting with Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in Cebu on the...

Farmers group seeks dismissal of cyber libel case vs ex-DA chief

Oct 28, 2026

Farmers group seeks dismissal of cyber libel case vs ex-DA chief

MANILA, Philippines — The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) urged the dismissal of the cyber libel suit filed against former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor over his statements questioning Planters Products Inc.’s (PPI) rice imports. “We call for the dismissal of this cyber libel suit, and for protection of advocates who defend farmers. Let us debate

Huawei opens defence in US criminal trial, touting its record of innovation

Oct 28, 2026

Huawei opens defence in US criminal trial, touting its record of innovation

Huawei Technologies started presenting its case on Wednesday, arguing that as a cutting-edge global tech leader it had no interest in stealing trade secrets, in a high-stakes criminal trial involving dozens of witnesses, legions of lawyers and untold millions of US dollars in legal fees. The Shenzhen-based company has pleaded not guilty to 14 criminal counts in New York’s Eastern District Court, including racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud and trade secret theft spanning more than...

De Lima filing bill to decriminalize libel: Laws must not be weaponized

Oct 28, 2026

De Lima filing bill to decriminalize libel: Laws must not be weaponized

MANILA, Philippines — Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said on Wednesday that she and other lawmakers are set to file a bill that will decriminalize libel, to prevent the use of such laws to attack journalists and stifle press freedom. In a statement on Wednesday, de Lima said they support the call to decriminalize

INQToday: Don’t panic, says Marcos as peso hits record low

Oct 28, 2026

INQToday: Don’t panic, says Marcos as peso hits record low

MANILA, Philippines — Here are the top stories in INQToday on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, as of 6 p.m. Marcos urges public not to panic as peso hits record low  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the public on Wednesday not to panic over the Philippine peso’s continued slide to a record low of 64 to

RECOMMENDED
Copyright © 2015 - 2026 Gempak Media. All Rights Reserved.

Subscribe Now!

About Us

Gempak Media delivers the most talked and gempak stories on the Internet to you. Be the first to know about the latest news and don’t forget to share it around.